Perrysburg Council OKs special use permit for Costco

By MATT THOMPSON | BLADE STAFF WRITER

Published on
March 25, 2014 | Updated 10:07 p. m.

Perrysburg mayor Michael Olmstead speaks during the City Council special meeting at the Perrysburg Municipal Building in Perrysburg, for Costco's special approval use to go in at State Rt. 25 and Eckel Junction Road.

Costco representative Ted Johnson, left, listens to comments from the City Council during a special meeting. To his right is Perrysburg city council member James Matuszak, who declared a conflict of interest and did not vote.

Perrysburg mayor Michael Olmstead speaks during the City Council special meeting at the Perrysburg Municipal Building in Perrysburg, for Costco's special approval use to go in at State Rt. 25 and Eckel Junction Road.

Perrysburg city council has approved a special-use zoning permit for a 154,300-square-foot Costco store at the busy intersection of State Rt. 25 and Eckel Junction Road, but the plan still needs site-plan review from city officials.

Council’s 4-2 vote was its second action on the proposal today after an earlier motion to approve the permit with seven conditions fell when Mayor Mike Olmstead cast a tie-breaking vote against it.

The special-use permit is required by Perrysburg’s zoning code because the proposal involves a retail store larger than 60,000 square feet. Costco's plan includes not only the store and gas station, but 720 parking spaces and two out-lots upon which it has indicated it might build a bank and a fast-food restaurant.

Councilman Tim McCarthy urged council to impose eight conditions on the site's use, but received no support. He then dropped one that would have forbidden Costco to use or sell the out-lots for other retail use, but the remaining seven conditions still failed to win the needed votes.

Council President John Kevern said not allowing the out-lots' use would be a deal "killer," to which Costco representative Ted Johnson nodded in agreement.

Costco representative Ted Johnson, left, listens to comments from the City Council during a special meeting. To his right is Perrysburg city council member James Matuszak, who declared a conflict of interest and did not vote.

Most of the conditions had been agreed to by Costco, but should be clarified, said Councilman Tim McCarthy, who with colleague Tom Mackin voted against the permit when the conditions were dropped. They included requirements for additional turn lanes on nearby streets and landscape buffering around the property.

"They were restrictions to make it a better project," Mr. Mackin said. "We are here to make sure Perrysburg stays a good community."

Mayor Olmstead said the proposed conditions will get a new hearing when the city Planning Commission takes up the site-plan review, which will start during a meeting Thursday.

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